Spring 2005’s student art show is a little like a giant self portrait; not only of art students, but of the campus itself. The show is hosted every spring by De Anza’s Euphrat museum of art, and is solely filled by student work created in the last two years. Each contributor is permitted up to three pieces, which are later cut down the the exhibit’s final selection by a group of outside jurors. This year’s jury was very accepting. The walls of the museum are heavily checkered with art, while the floor is covered in pedestals to host pieces. Marlene Lawson, who worked to display each of the pieces, noted that the show has been the most colorful student show since September 11.
The show reflects it’s origins at De Anza, and several paintings and photographs hold the campus itself as subject. Along with the heavy splashing of color, there are also a few examples of art repeating itself, turning into new art. Two pieces depict the “L” quad, including its previous student mural, created by paint a second time. “Rose” by Roderick Santos features graphics from past issues of La Voz as the scrap background of a collage.
The personal, social, and political issues tackled by students are also diverse and heavy, including AIDS, Vietnamese Immigration, being transgender, and the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse incident. While good artists put themselves into their work, De Anza students have done it literally. Two pieces created by a smoker are decorated with cigarettes, some adorned with faces and letters.
The father/son pair of Gene Serafine and Adam McLeod submitted two chairs they had worked on individually. McLeod incorporated a skateboard into his design, while Serafine used elements found on the family ranch. “Self Portrait” by Cassandra Flores portrays a woman who has human-like hair melted into her painted hair. Another painting is decorated by a blue hand print, presumably the artist’s. A sculpture from a wood block is pinned on one side with a pair of fully intact bird wings the artist discovered while walking.
While the show is colorful, it also tells stories of pain. A portrait of childhood by Teresa Tostado depicts a little girl breaking the foot off of a leg suspended from the tree above her with the red high heel she clutches. The image is reminiscent of a pi�ata, without the innocence. Another painting by Robert Yu shows a family of three huddled in a bathroom. The mother, who looks frazzled, forces a smile and supports herself with an arm slung across the toilet, while the small boy in front of barely hides his expression of sorrow. While a photograph of a women drenched in sunlight is entitled “Golden Sunset” a deep scar is visible running down her chest.
The show holds well over a hundred pieces of mixed media and themes.
The museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. The Student art show opens today and runs until June 9.
